Frame up
by raysweetie
Summary: Has Ray become evil?
1. Default Chapter

Title: Frame-Up 1/?   
  
Author: Susan Owens Beta read and suggestions by: LN  
  
Rated : PG13   
  
Disclaimers: I do not own The Real Ghostbusters. DIC does. They were created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis.  
  
Author notes: I am doing Stantzman's challenge. This is actually my first RGB fan fiction   
  
Archive: Yes, please   
  
Copyright 2003 Susan Owens  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The opening of the new restaurant was in full swing, as elegantly clad dinner guests pulled up in even more elegant cars outside. The proprietor, Mr. Thomas Spenser, welcomed his guests with the practiced graciousness of a professional restauranteur.   
  
"Welcome to The House of Roses. I hope you have a wonderful time this evening." Spenser was in full Maitre d' mode, shaking hands with everyone. The place was crowded; opening night was going to be a hit. Suddenly he noticed a strange man walk in. He carried himself with an air of self-confidence, thumbs looped in his work belt, appraising the restaurant with a keen eye. He wore a tan jumpsuit, unzipped practically to his belt-buckle, and a pair of scuffed army boots. His auburn hair was a mess, and perched on top, as if to flatten it, the strangest pair of goggles Spenser had ever seen. On his back seemed to be a backpack of some kind. Mr. Spenser stared at the man. His guests also stared. Some were muttering.   
  
"Look after the guests," Spenser whispered to a waiter who was standing close by. "I'll deal with this." He quickly intercepted the man at the door.   
  
"Sir, we have a dress code here. You can't just walk in here dressed . . . " he gestured with disdain at what the man was wearing. "...like that." There was a distinct air of distaste in his voice and on his face.   
  
The man smiled at Mr. Spenser and held out his hand. "Ghostbusters. Ray Stantz at your service." Suddenly alarmed, Spenser pulled Ray aside. "I didn't call for you guys."   
  
The owner watched with growing alarm as Ray nonchalantly took out a PKE meter and conducted a sweep of the restaurant. As quickly as he took it out, he replaced it. "Well Mr. Spenser, looks like you're wrong. You've got a ghost here, and by the looks of my reading, a real nasty one. Don't worry. I'll take care of it."   
  
Before Mr. Spenser could say any more, Ray unsheathed his thrower from his pack and fired into the crowd. People screamed as tables and chairs were blasted to pieces. Pandemonium broke out as people panicked trying to get out. Mr. Spenser was now yelling above the noise. "GET OUT! LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!"   
  
Ray lowered his weapon and smiled innocently at Mr. Spenser. "I scared away your problem, Mr. Spenser. That'll be $5000."   
  
"$5000? I won't pay it. I didn't hire you."   
  
Ray's innocent smile turned malicious. "You know this baby can do more than catch ghosts. It would really be a bad thing to see your place go up in smoke."   
  
Mr. Spenser turned white and backed away. "You're out of your mind."   
  
"No, I just want to be paid for a job well done."   
  
"I'm calling the police."   
  
"You do that," Ray leered as he walked out. As he reached the door, he abruptly turned and fired again into the restaurant, leaving the back wall a pile of rubble. "Have a nice day."   
  
Shaking, Mr. Spenser called the police.   
  
********  
  
It had been quiet all day at the firehouse. Peter Venkman and Winston Zeddemore were sitting at Peter's desk playing poker. Peter's feet were perched up on the desk. Egon Spengler was upstairs in his lab working on a new invention, and Janine Melnitz sat at her desk, filing her nails and popping her chewing gum.   
  
Suddenly, the front door was thrown open, and police detective Walter Frump stormed in.   
  
"Venkman!" He barked. "Where's Stantz?"   
  
Peter looked up casually from his card game, and adopted a carefully-rehearsed neutral _expression. "Well hello to you too, detective," he drawled.   
  
The detective's scowl deepened. "I 'm not in the mood, Venkman." he spat. "Where is Stantz?"   
  
With concern on his face Winston got up and walked over to Frump. "Ray's not here at the moment. Anything we can do?"   
  
Frump stared sharply at them. "Look, if you are trying to protect him forget it. I'm taking him down for questioning."   
  
Egon was coming down the stairs and heard Frump's words. "Taking who down for questioning?" he inquired mildly.   
  
Peter came over to him. "It seems as if Ray is in some sort of trouble."   
  
Egon looked at Frump. "What happened?"   
  
"He wrecked the opening of the new restaurant The House of Roses. He came in claiming there was a ghost and opened fire. He trashed the place." Frump snarled. The proprietor figures he did over $10,000 worth of damage. He's got a list of charges against him as long as my arm.   
  
Peter scowled as he faced Frump. "You're out of your mind! Ray would never do anything like that!"   
  
Frump smiled with relish at Peter's anger. He'd been waiting for a chance to see Venkman try and sqirm out of a sticky situation like this one, but now Frump had him over a barrel. "We have eye witnesses and it was recorded on the restaurant's surveillance camera. That was the only thing he didn't destroy. Now, where is he?"   
  
"We honestly don't know," replied Winston, trying to defuse the tension between the two men. "He went out for a walk. Said he needed to clear his head."   
  
******   
  
Ray rounded the corner of Varick street, returning from his walk, to see a proton pack lying in front of the firehouse door. Frowning, he shook his head, picked it up, and walked inside.   
  
"Hey guys, which of you . . . "   
  
Ray suddenly found himself facing the barrel of detective Frump's gun, and the bulk of detective Frump himself. "You're coming down the station with me. I got a few questions for you."   
  
Ray took a few steps back. "What's going on, detective?" He protested. He stared at his friends. "Peter, Egon, Winston, Janine? What's going on?"   
  
Peter looked at Frump. "Is this really necessary? "   
  
"I'm not taking any chances of him blasting me to pieces."   
  
Ray looked at them his eyes full of confusion. "Guys, what's going on?"   
  
Peter placed his hand on his shoulders. "Frump just needs to ask you some questions kid. That's all."   
  
"Why? What did I do?" Ray looked bewildered. Since when had the police ever held him at gunpoint? And since when had his friends not defended him?   
  
Frump didn't answer him. Instead, he grabbed Ray by the arm, pulled him around, cuffed him, and read him his rights. Seeing no point in provoking the detective further, Ray remained silent.   
  
"Frump, we're going with you," said Peter. The other three nodded. Egon looked at Janine. "Janine, you stay here in case we get a call. We'll have the cellphone will us, in case you need to reach us."   
  
Janine nodded. She watched the guys follow as Frump led Ray out. Slimer came down through the ceiling. "Where going? Ray all right?" he burbled.   
  
"To the police station, Slimer, and I'm not sure." Janine replied.   
  
*********   
  
They all sat in the interrogation room, staring at the television. It was always the same no matter how much they wished it were otherwise: arcs of proton beams crackling across the screen as Ray destroyed The House of Roses restaurant. Ray looked in dismay at his friends.   
  
"You guys don't really believe that's me? Do you?" He asked in alarm   
  
Winston looked at him. "Ray, cameras don't lie."   
  
"It's not me!" he protested.   
  
Egon placed a hand on his arm. "This is my fault. I've been working you too hard."   
  
"You guys do believe it." Ray felt betrayed. This can't be happening. Why were they so ready to believe this, to buy in to the detective's side of the story? Where was the critical thinking that had made their busting technology so successful? Ray put his head in his hands, and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to collect him self.   
  
"Ray, we don't want to, but it's there on the television."   
  
Ray looked up at Peter, feeling more and more like a cornered animal. "Look, I didn't do it! You have to believe me. That video could be a forgery! Why won't you listen to me?"  
  
"Raymond, when my lab blew up this morning, you were knocked out for a while. I think you did this, but you just weren't yourself when you did it."   
  
Ray's eyes took on a hard edge, as he tried to make his friends understand. "I didn't do it!"   
  
Winston looked at him. "Ray, where did you go on your walk?"   
  
Ray stared at him, suddenly taken aback. "I don't remember."   
  
Peter threw his hands in the air. "Oh come off it Ray. I can think of a better excuse then that."   
  
Ray had no response. He felt lost and helpless, like a little child being reprimanded by his elders.   
  
Mr. Spenser walked into the room, with Frump following behind. The detective looked at them. "I don't know why but Mr. Spenser not going to press charges as long as you pay for the damages."   
  
Peter nodded his head. "We'll take care of it. Thank you for not pressing charges."   
  
Mr. Spenser nodded. "Just keep him on a leash."   
  
Peter gave Mr. Spenser a sour look. Winston grabbed Ray's arms to prevent him from lunging at the man. "This is wrong! I didn't trash your restaurant! Peter, don't listen to them! I didn't do it!" He tried to wriggle free of Winston's grip. But Peter just game him a warning look.   
  
"Get in the car, Ray." he replied as he wrote out a check. Overruled, Ray looked at his friend and shook his head. He wrested his arms free from Winston, and stomped out of the police station, slamming doors behind him as he left. He sat in Ecto-1, trying his best to remember what happened during his walk, but he couldn't remember a thing. Could that mean that he did actually trash that restaurant? What could he have been thinking?? How was it that the guys let him walk out of the firehouse with a pack on his back, if he was in such bad shape? Suddenly exhausted, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he vanished and then reappeared. He opened his eyes . The other Ghostbusters came out of the police station and got into Ecto-1. Ray sat in the back of Ecto-1, smiling at them. His eyes, devoid of their usual warmth, were hard and cold."   
  
Egon climbed in front with Winston and turn around toward Ray. "Raymond? Are you okay?" He asked with concern in his face.   
  
"Just fine Egon, couldn't be better." Ray's voice was flat and devoid of emotion.   
  
"Are you sure?"   
  
"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks for asking."   
  
Egon turned back around and looked at Winston, who just shook his head. Peter placed his hand on the youngest Ghostbuster's shoulder. "Ray, when we get home, I want you to go lay down for a while."   
  
"Anything you say." Ray leaned back again and said nothing else the rest of the way home. Once they got to the firehouse he got out without saying a word, and walked inside, brushing past a concerned Janine as though she weren't there.   
  
"How'd it go down at the police station?"   
  
Peter came up to her. "He's a little upset with us, Janine."   
  
Janine nodded and turned back to her work wondering just what had happened down at the station to make Ray seem so out of sorts.   
  
********   
  
Later on that evening, Egon was in his lab tinkering with his latest invention. Ray had joined him after a long afternoon nap. "Just one more adjustment, Raymond, and my new invention will be ready," Egon declared, his eyes shinning with excitment.   
  
Ray watched with a stony _expression as Egon made his final adjustment. Egon stood back wiping his forehead with the back of his hand "This took me forever. I'm so glad it's finally done."   
  
Ray walked around the machine. "Pretty special, huh, Egon?"   
  
"Yes. This is one of my greatest works, if I do say so myself." Egon replied proudly. "It's going to take ghostbusting to a new level."   
  
"Oh I don't know. I mean, if you take a sledge hammer to it, it might not stand up."   
  
Egon chuckled. "I don't plan to take a sledge hammer to it, Ray. I plan on taking a shower. I can't wait to show Peter and Winston."   
  
Ray nodded as Egon left the room. He then looked at the machine, a malicious grin coming over his features. "Yes, I think a sledge hammer will do nicely." He left and soon returned with the hammer. He rolled up his sleeves, swung the sledge high over his head, and brought it down as hard as he could on the machine.   
  
BANG. BANG. BANG. The firehouse reverberated with the sound.   
  
Egon heard the noise and ran out of the shower wrapped with only a towel. He was greeted with the sight of his invention lying in ruins, Ray standing victoriously over it, sledgehammer in hand.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Egon stood in the doorway, his eyes wide with shock. "Raymond ! How could you do such a thing?!"   
  
Ray blinked as things began to focus. He looked from the sledgehammer in his hands to Egon's invention and back again, as though he couldn*t believe what he was seeing. He turned and looked at Egon as the awful realization dawned in his eyes. Suddenly, he dropped the sledgehammer as though it was on fire, and began backing away from his friend. Egon's blue eyes were blazing as he lurched at him. Ray tried to pull away but Egon held him tight by the collar, and was shaking him furiously. "Do you know how long this took me? How dare you destroy it!"   
  
Ray was frightened. The blond physicist rarely showed emotion, much less emotion this extreme, so Egon*s outburst hit home hard. He felt like his head was going to explode, Egon was shaking him so hard. "Egon ! Stop! You're hurting me! Stop! Let Go!"   
  
Strong arms dragged an enraged Egon away from the hapless engineer. "Egon, calm down.! Let go of Ray!" Egon huffed, and shook Winston's arms off, as he collected himself. Ray was looking more confused by the minute.   
  
Peter arrived at the door of the lab, drawn by the commotion. He quickly assessed the situation, Egon bristling with anger, Ray bewildered but ready to defend himself, and Winston standing between the two.   
  
"Ray? Are you okay? What happened? " Peter turned to Egon. "What's the matter with you? Why were you attacking him?"   
  
"Is he okay?" Egon*s voice registered incredulous outrage. "Look at what he did to my Ecto-meter." Egon glared at Ray.   
  
Peter and Winston looked at the machine, or what was left of it, and then back at Ray. Ray responded by looking at them like a cornered animal. Peter kept his voice calm, in an effort not to provoke the already tense situation. "Ray, did you do this?"  
  
Ray turned his eyes to the machine. "I don't know. I...I woke up...or I came to, and I was holding the sledgehammer." He sat down on the bed, his head in his hands. "I don*t understand it, guys. First this business with the restaurant, and now Egon*s machine. D*you think maybe there might be something wrong with me?"   
  
Winston looked at Egon. "Egon, why don*t you run a scan on Ray. Maybe he*s possessed."   
  
Egon suddenly felt like a heel. He nodded and walk out soon returning with a PKE Meter. Stooping down beside Ray and Peter, he held it to his young friend then spoke calmly. "Ray, let me take a reading."   
  
  
  
Ray nodded. Egon's reaction had surprised and frightened him, but Winston*s suggestion offered hope. Egon slowly ran the PKE Meter up and down Ray. He mumbled to himself. "So, Egon, what's the reading?" Peter asked.   
  
Egon slowly stood up, shaking his head. "It's clean. I*m afraid there are no signs that Ray was possessed."   
  
Winston looked over Egon*s shoulder and looked at the reading too. "That can't be right. There must be some explanation for this."   
  
Ray pulled himself together and stood up. "The explanation is, I'm going crazy. I 'm doing things I can't remember." He stared at the sledgehammer. "Egon, I could have attacked you with that."   
  
Peter grabbed Ray by his shoulders. "You would not have attacked Egon."   
  
"How do you know?"   
  
"Because I know you."   
  
Ray pull away from Peter. "Peter, you need to call Frump and tell him to put me away before I hurt one of you guys."   
  
Egon shook his head . "No, Ray. Winston*s right. We can*t jump to conclusions on the basis of one preliminary test. We*ll get to the bottom of this. Come on, I'll run a few more tests."   
  
Ray shook his head. "No. I'm not going to stay here and take a chance on hurting you."   
  
Winston pulled himself to his full height and blocked the doorway. "And how are you going to leave?" he asked.  
  
"I have to go, Winston."   
  
Peter gazed at his friend, his arms akimbo. "Well, your not. Slimer!"   
  
Slimer appeared at the sound of his name. "Yeah Peter?"   
  
"Egon is going to run a few tests on Ray. I want you to make sure he doesn't leave."   
  
Slimer gave Peter a mock saute. "You got it."   
  
Ray sat down and looked at Slimer. He really wasn't in the mood to get slimed. Egon laid his hand on Ray*s shoulder. Ray stiffened and Egon felt bad. "I*m sorry I frightened you, Raymond. I'll get the equipment ready, then you can come in."   
  
Ray nodded, staring at a spot on the floor. Peter look at him."Egon is sorry, you know that, right ?"   
  
Ray didn*t respond, only nodded again. Peter stood up. "Winston, I'm going to take Egon's clothes in to him, I think he forgot something."   
  
Winston nodded but his mind was on his friend. Janine came up the stairs. "You guys got a call."   
  
"Okay Janine. Winston? Do you think we can handle it?"   
  
Ray stood up. "Peter I want to come."   
  
"No. Egon needs to run some tests on you. Winston and I can handle it."   
  
Ray*s eyes suddenly became cold as he stared at Peter. "Do what you want, Venkman."   
  
Winston exchanged glances with Peter. "Come on, Winston." Peter replied as he walked out.   
  
Once in Ecto, Winston glanced at Peter. "Did you see how suddenly Ray's face changed?"   
  
"Yeah I did. I hope Egon finds out what*s going on. Winston, I think we 're losing Ray."  
  
********   
  
Ray looked up at Slimer with eyes devoid of emotion, abruptly pulled a trap out from under his bed, trapped the unsuspecting little ghost, heaved the smoking trap on the floor, and walked out of the firehouse.   
  
********************   
  
Ray Stantz walked along the lonely dark streets, avoiding streetlamps and brightly lit places. He looked furtively around, as though he thought he was being followed. As he walked, he grinned evilly, his eyes fairly glowing in the dark. As he walked, he mumbled to himself.   
  
"You ruined my life, Stantz .You made me a laughing stock, and you will pay."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ray disappeared down a subway staircase like a wraith. Normally, the youngest of the Ghostbusters was affable and friendly with fans, despite his natural tendency towards shyness. He had never dreamed as a youth that he might be famous one day, but had always idolized other famous people. So when people recognized him in the streets, he always made an effort to shake their hands or sign autographs. But today, he avoided people's glances on the platform, and fairly scowled at the other passengers as he boarded his train. One child examined at him at some length, and then approached.   
  
"Aren't you a Ghostbuster?"   
  
Ray looked down at him, his eyes narrow and his upper lip curling into a snarl. "Go away, brat."   
  
The child backed away, and other passengers averted their eyes from the auburn-haired man. Ray just turned towards the window and stared out into space.   
  
His train took him west to Brooklyn Heights. He walked up the dingy stairs to the street and looked around. He then took out a slip of paper, and examined the address he had written down. He smiled maliciously and hailed a taxi.   
  
The taxi dropped him off in front of Janine Melnitz's apartment building. He took the elevator to Janine's floor, and found her apartment. Janine was a savvy woman; she had installed numerous locks on her door. But she didn't know whom she was dealing with. This would be a piece of cake. Ray gazed steadily at the locks on the door, raised his hand, and quietly uttered a few words under his breath. The locks unlatched by themselves, one by one, including the massive deadbolt, and the door swung open on its hinges.  
  
He could hear the shower running as he sat down on the couch and waited. An hour later Janine came out with only a robe on and a towel around her head. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Ray sitting on her couch.   
  
"Ray? What are you doing here? And how did you get in?"   
  
He stood up and turned towards her, a crooked smile on his face. "I came to see you Janine." His voice had a curious sing-song quality, reminiscent of Norman Bates from the movie Psycho.   
  
"You could have called."   
  
"I wanted to surprise you."   
  
His eyes gleamed as he grabbed her roughly and kissed her on the mouth.   
  
Janine struggled to free herself of his grip. As soon as he let her go, she struck him hard enough in the face that the apartment echoed with a resounding slap. He wiped the blood from his mouth and snarled at her.   
  
"You've lost, Melnitz."   
  
Janine was terrified. She had never seen Ray like this before. Ray had been down lately, yes, and he had ignored her earlier on today after the guys had gotten back from the police station. But Ray was not a violent man, nor would he have ever threatened her. But now, Janine wasn't so sure.   
  
She began backing away. Her hand brushed against the lamp on her end table. She grabbed it and brandished it like a club. "Get out of here, or I'll call the police!"   
  
Ray didn't seem the least bit perturbed; he just smirked evilly at her. He turned, as if to leave. Then he wheeled around, pulled a handgun out of his jacket pocket, and pointed it at her. "See you around Janine."   
  
But Janine was already one step ahead of him. In one smooth motion, she brought the lamp down on his head. Ray fell to the floor with a thud.   
  
Suddenly anxious that she might have done more damage than she intended to, she knelt down beside the unconscious man.   
  
"Ray?"   
  
No answer.   
  
"Ray? You OK?"  
  
Shaking, she reached out to check his pulse.   
  
Suddenly, his eyes shot open. He grabbed her, pulling to the floor and pinning her underneath him. Janine looked into dark and evil eyes, so far removed from the gentle brown eyes she knew. Suddenly, she didn't care how much she hurt him. Whoever or whatever this was, it wasn't Ray. She brought her knee up without warning and made contact. He uttered a strangled scream and rolled off of her.   
  
She got up and retrieved his dropped gun. She pointed it at him, and got at least a couple of feet of distance between them. Eyes filled with pain, Ray looked up at her. "Janine," he gasped, "why did you do that?"   
  
She stood there pointing the gun at him. "Don't you move! Don't you dare! I'm calling the guys." She retreated to the other side of the room, and picked up the phone.   
  
Ray sucked in his breath. "Witch," he thought venomously. "She wasn't as easy as I thought she would be. I've got to get out of here. I won't let them to spoil my plans again."   
  
He heaved himself to his feet and made a break for the door, ignoring the pain. By the time Janine saw him and reacted, he was gone. Janine sat down in her armchair and waited for the guys, her heart pounding and her mind racing. What was going on?   
  
TBC 


	2. Frame Up

Part Two  
  
Almost an hour later Janine heard the guys coming down the hall outside of her apartment. "Janine? Are you all right?" She heard Egon bass voice call to her. Quickly, she ran to the door, threw it open and fell into Egon's arms.   
  
"Oh Egon, I'm so glad you came."   
  
Egon held her and gave Peter a look of concern. Peter moved over to them and gently put an arm on her shoulder. "Janine, what happened? I could hardly understand you on the phone."   
  
She stared up into Peter's concerned gaze. "Ray... Ray... "   
  
"What about Ray?" Winston prompted.   
  
"He tried to ...Oh God ...I can't believe I'm even saying this..."   
  
"Janine, what did he try to do?" Egon asked sternly.   
  
She hung her head. Never in all the years that she had worked for these men, had she ever dreamed she would be put in this position. It made her sick to her stomach to think of what Ray had tried to do. It made her even sicker to think that it had been Ray. He had always treated her well, even from the first day she arrived at the firehouse to apply for the job she now held. Where Peter had immediately put her on the defensive when she'd arrived, Ray had made her feel welcome and comfortable. He may have been shy to start with, avoiding meeting her gaze directly, or stammering a little when he talked to her. But it hadn't taken him long before he was relaxed enough to sit down on slow afternoons and chat with her, or tease her the way the guys teased each other. He'd always made her feel included, like she was truly part of the team. But now, what had happened just an hour ago clamored against those memories, made a mockery of them.   
  
Egon gently lifted her chin. "It's okay."   
  
"He tried to rape me." She replied quickly.   
  
The three men exchanged startled glances. Peter shook his head. "That can't be right. Ray can't look a woman in the eye, let alone attack one."   
  
Suddenly on the defensive, Janine shot him an angry look. "I didn't want to believe it either and I didn't at first. But then I saw the birthmark under his chin. No one has that same birth mark." She hugged Egon a little tighter. Egon comforted her a little more, but then pulled her to arms length and looked down at the diminutive secretary. "We need to go after Ray. Do you want me to call your sister?"   
  
"No. Why can't you stay? Peter and Winston can find him. Egon, please, I don't want to be alone."   
  
Peter patted Egon on the back. "Stay with her, Spengs. Winston and I will find Ray."   
  
"All right, I will stay with her. Peter?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Be careful. In his current state of mind, he could be dangerous."   
  
Peter nodded as he and Winston walked out the door.   
  
"Man, never thought I would ever hear that."   
  
"What's that, Winston?"   
  
"That Ray could be dangerous."   
  
"What're you talking about? Haven't you ever seen him at the all-you-can-eat Chinese Buffet?" Peter clapped the black man on the back. "C'mon, Winston. We'll round up Ray, and put some sense back in that egghead of his. We'll even give Janine a turn."   
  
  
  
Ray's mind swam to consciousness. Slowly, he opened his eyes. As light began to filter into his field of vision, he slowly became aware of his surroundings. His head was pounding so hard it felt like someone had been using a jackhammer on it.   
  
"I see you're finally awake, took you long enough. I was beginning to think he'd killed you."   
  
Ray followed the sound of the voice, but gasped in pain as he tried to turn over onto his side. "What happened?"   
  
"I'd lie still if I were you. You might have a few busted ribs."   
  
As his eyes focused, he began to make out distinct shapes. He was lying on a bed in a dingy room, probably a motel. It looked like it had never seen better days - it could have been a drug addict's hideaway, had there been graffiti on the walls. A ragged curtain covered the single window. A lamp on the bedside table provided the only light. A woman sat in a rocking chair, near his bed, rocking back and forth and knitting. She looked to be in her early sixties.   
  
"Who are you and where am I?" he said in weak voice.   
  
She got up and placed her hand on his forehead. "Hum. My name is Flo, and you are here."   
  
"But where is here?"   
  
'You must be hungry."   
  
Ray shook his head. "No, I'm not. Where am I?"   
  
"I told you." She disappeared into another room and came back with a bowl of soup. "Here, eat this."   
  
He turned his head away. She placed it down on a small nightstand by his cot. "Suit yourself, but you're going to get hungry."   
  
"Just tell me how long I was out. Can you at least do that?"   
  
"Hum, I say a week."   
  
"A week?"   
  
"Yes, give or take a few days."   
  
Ray closed his eyes. Where was he, and where were the guys?   
  
********  
  
  
  
The taxi pulled up at a venerable, grandiose-looking old house on a quiet street in the Bronx. The house looked as though it had seen better days, but it still retained an air of the authority and affluence that its previous occupants must have had. Ray got out of the taxi and stood on the sidewalk facing the house, an evil grin on his face. Then he made his way up the front walk to the porch and rang the doorbell. Soon the matronly figure of a petite lady appeared at the door.   
  
"Why, Ray! What a pleasant surprise, please come in."   
  
Ray walked in and looked around. The hallway walls were filled with an exuberant display of family pictures, some of them a hundred years old. Suddenly, he grabbed his hostess by the wrists. " Hello Aunt Lois," he said, a gleeful menace in his voice.   
  
Aunt Lois looked shocked, then afraid. Ray stood a full head taller than she did, and she would be no match for him. She tried to pull away. "Ray! Let go, you're hurting me!"   
  
"I'll break your neck old lady if you don't shut up," he snarled. "I need some cash."   
  
She stared into cold, emotionless eyes. "Who are you?"   
  
"You know who I am. Now, I told you, I need cash."   
  
"I don't have any."   
  
Ray slapped her across the face with the back of his hand, sending her to the floor. "Don't lie to me, Aunty. You either give me some cash or I'll break your neck."   
  
Aunt Lois looked up at him. "You're not Ray! Who are you?"   
  
He didn't respond. He hauled her roughly to her feet, pushed her into a room and locked the door. "I'll find the money myself."   
  
Lois listened to this man who looked like her nephew as he proceeded to wreck her home. She knew that it wasn't Ray, but who was he? Soon it got quiet. She heard his footsteps coming down the hallway, blending in with the pounding of her heart.   
  
"Aunt Lois, I got what I needed, thanks. Oh, and by the way, I hope you enjoyed your life; it ends today. Bye Aunty."   
  
She heard the front door open and close. Then she saw the smoke coming under the door. "Oh no " she gasped. She hurried to the window and screamed for help as smoke began to seep in from under the doorframe. Coughing, she lay down on the floor to escape the choking smoke, but it soon overcame her.   
  
Ray stood there and watched the house as it burned, then slipped away quietly as sirens began to wail in the distance.   
  
****   
  
Ray looked at the soup and took a sip.   
  
"Hum, seems I was right. You are hungry."   
  
He looked over at the woman in the rocking chair. "Why won't you tell me what's going on?"   
  
"Stop asking questions. Just be thankful you're alive."   
  
"Oh it's okay, Flo. You can tell Ray if you want, not that it will make any difference."   
  
Both turned suddenly at the sound of the voice - a voice that sounded eerily familiar. Ray's mouth dropped open when he saw himself looking down at him.   
  
"What's the matter, Stantz?"   
  
"You're me."   
  
"Yeah, disgusting isn't it. Flo, you old bat, change me back."   
  
Flo said a few magic words and soon Alan Favish was leaning over Ray. "Ever wonder what you would be like if you had no scruples or honor? No love, only hate?"   
  
Ray stared at him. "No! Why are you doing this?"   
  
"Why? No, that's not the right question. You know why! But let me tell you how." He walked over to Flo. "She a nice old lady. Right? Wrong. She's not an old lady, she's a demon, the kind who helps humans."   
  
"She a helper and you caught her."   
  
"Yes, and as long as she wears that choker, she has to my bidding."   
  
"Let me guess: ruining my life."   
  
"Not only ruining it but destroying it as well."   
  
"Why?"   
  
Alan suddenly slapped him. Flo stood up. "Leave him alone."   
  
Alan wheeled on the elderly woman. He produced what looked like a remote control from his pocket and pushed a button. She cried out in pain and clutched at the choker around her neck.   
  
"Shut up, or next time the shock will be unbearable."   
  
She sat back down. Ray looked at him. "I never thought anyone was a monster but compared to you, the winged puma was harmless."   
  
Alan turned and smiled at him, making Ray skin crawl. "You and that winged puma cost me my business, my standing in the community, my future. I spent years establishing a reputation as a successful businessman in Morrisville. Hell, I could've run for mayor. But after you showed up with that laser light show of yours, I couldn't get the time of day from anybody. Not even from Elaine! You ruined my life, Stantz, and I'm not about to let the fat little loser from high school do that to me. You know, I've worked hard at ruining your life, and I've enjoyed it." He looked at his watch. "For example, by now your aunt is dead."   
  
"What did you do to my aunt?!"   
  
"I set her house on fire and locked her in the one of the rooms."   
  
Ray suddenly let out a yell and lunged at Alan. But Alan just planted his foot in the middle of Ray's chest, forcing him to stay prone on the bed. Ray cried out in pain as his broken ribs took the brunt of the weight of Alan's foot. "That was really stupid, Stantz."   
  
Ray lay on the bed gasping for air. Flo looked at him and hung her head. Alan lifted her chin. "Don't feel sorry for him Flo. It's just not right to feel sorry for a dead man."   
  
****   
  
Ecto-1 sped around the corner, lights blazing and siren screaming, as they neared the source of the flames. It came screeching to a halt at the scene, which was already choked with fire trucks and police cars. Winston , Egon and Peter all hurried out of the vehicle, scanning the crowd of emergency workers and onlookers for signs of their friend. Peter was the first to spot Aunt Lois as she was being loaded into an ambulance. He ran over to her and took her hand. She looked up at him weakly. Through her oxygen mask, she said, "Ray."   
  
"Did Ray do this?"   
  
Aunt Lois fainted. As the paramedics bustled to get her into the ambulance, one of them turned to Peter. "She's a very lucky woman. Another hour and we would have been too late."   
  
Peter nodded as they closed the door and drove off. Egon and Winston were speaking to the fire captain, and as he walked over, he caught the last of the captain's sentence.   
  
"I believe this fire was started on purpose."   
  
"Egon," said Peter. "Aunt Lois said Ray did it."   
  
Egon looked at Peter and Winston. "This has gone to far. We have to tell the police."   
  
  
  
  
  
Peter stared at Egon in disbelief. "Come on, Spengs, we can handle this. We don't need to call the police."   
  
Spengler regarded Peter with the look he reserved for life-and-death situations. "I understand your concern, Peter. I don't want to do this any more than you do. But we have little choice. Ray has become dangerous."   
  
Winston placed his hand on Peter 's arm. "Egon's right, man. We need to tell the police."   
  
Peter's eyes flashed in anger as he looked at both of them. "Ray's our friend! We just can't throw him to the lions."   
  
Egon shook his head. "We are doing this for Ray. Now I'm going to do what I know is right." Egon walked over to one of the policemen and told him everything. Peter and Winston exchanged glances. Peter felt helpless, a feeling he absolutely hated.   
  
**********   
  
"Wait here sir." When the office returned, Detective Frump was with him. "Okay, Spengler, are you willing to give a statement?"   
  
Egon looked at his friends. Peter looked frustrated, face drawn in a pout, arms folded in stubborn refusal to take part in the conversation. Winston stood a little straighter than usual; the muscles in his lower jaw working. "Yes."   
  
Egon related everything as he had told the officer, leaving nothing out. Frump listened to the entire story with a deadpan _expression. Then he picked up the radio from his car.   
  
"Yeah. Issue an APB on a Raymond Stantz. Suspect is about 5ft 10in, weight around 215, hair red to auburn in color, eyes brown. Wearing khaki chinos, green shirt and sweater, brown leather bomber jacket. Last seen in the Bronx. Suspect may be armed and dangerous."   
  
*****   
  
Alan turned off the CB radio and turned to Flo. "Okay, you crow, turn me into Stantz again." She waved her hands and he became Ray again. He walked over to the cot. "You're going down today, Stantz. Your life is over."   
  
"You're a fool! The guys'll figure it out. They'll figure it out and come for me!"   
  
"That's what you think." He turned back to Flo. "You know what to do once I leave."   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Good. Now send me to Venkman."   
  
Flo nodded sadly as she sent Alan away. Ray suddenly got a strange feeling in his stomach. "What's he going to do to Peter?"   
  
Sadly, Flo turned away. "Answer me!" Ray demanded. She only shook her head. The feeling in the pit of his stomach got worse, and he began to feel panicked. He struggled up to a sitting position, holding his side. "Please tell me."   
  
She turned to him. "I can't. I'm sorry. You will know soon enough."   
  
"That's not good enough. Is Alan going to hurt him?"   
  
The look on her face said it all. "Oh no! He's going to kill Peter, isn't he?"   
  
Flo hung her head.   
  
"You can't let him do this!"   
  
"As long as he has me under his control, I can do nothing but obey him. I'm sorry."   
  
******   
  
On the lawn of the smoldering Stantz homestead, Peter was pacing up and down in front of Ecto, his mind racing and his anger nearing the boiling point. Sure, Ray had been acting weird lately, but Spengs hadn't given Ray much of a chance. They'd all seen what kind of damage a possessed person can do, and hadn't they dealt with enough possessions over the years? They just wasn't looking hard enough, there had to be a more plausible explanation to all of this than just that his best friend had abruptly become a homicidal maniac.   
  
He was so upset and confused that he didn't hear footsteps behind him.   
  
"Peter!"   
  
Snapped out of his reverie, Venkman turned around at the familiar sound of Ray's voice. He came face to face with the barrel of a gun. Ray gave him a smile, full of malice and bloodlust. Then he pulled the trigger.   
  
**************   
  
Flo hung her head. "It is time." She pointed her hand at Ray and blue streaks came from her fingers. The scene shimmered and collapsed before Ray's eyes, and he was gone.   
  
When he reappeared he was being slammed down hard against a police car, his hands pulled roughly behind his back. He screamed in pain as his broken ribs took yet more damage. His mind numbed by pain and confusion, he watched the scene as though it were in slow motion. Frump was reading him his rights. He heard none of it. He could only watch in horror as a gurney bearing the prone and bloody figure of Peter was being loaded into the ambulance.   
  
  
  
  
  
TBC 


	3. Frame Up

Part 3  
  
"Hey Stantz! Are you listening to me? Do you understand your rights?" Frump demanded. Ray remained silent, blinking back tears of pain. "Stantz!?"   
  
Frump roughly turned his prisoner around so he could see his face. "I asked you, do you understand your rights?"   
  
Ray looked lost and confused. Alan had shot, maybe even killed Peter, and Ray had been useless to stop him. Alan really had thought of everything. Now, Frump was saying something but he didn't know what. Frump's voice was muddled, and nothing he said made sense. Ray looked around, desperately looking for some reassurance, some comfort, some indication that all this was just a bad dream. Then he saw Winston approaching him as Egon climbed in the back of the ambulance with Peter.   
  
"How could you shoot Peter like that Ray? How?"   
  
Unlike Frump, Winston's words sliced through Ray's pain-induced stupor like a sharp blade. Ray shook his head to clear it, which was a big mistake. All it did was make him dizzy. "I didn't shoot Peter, Winston. Alan did."   
  
"Don't lie to me Ray! We saw you!" Before Frump or one of the other officers could stop him, Winston punched Ray in the stomach. Ray let out a groan and fell to his knees, doubled over with the pain. Just before he fainted from the pain, he tasted blood, and saw a few drops fall from his mouth to the ground. "Great," he thought, "internal bleeding. Just what I needed..."   
  
Then everything went black.   
  
********  
  
One of the officer grabbed Winston, and heaved him off of Ray. Winton shook him off angrily and stared down at the unconscious man. "If Pete dies, I promise you I will make you pay."   
  
"That's enough, Zeddemore. Now you just get into that heap of yours and get out of here."   
  
Winston turned a vitriolic glance at the detective, got into Ecto and drove away. Frump looked down at the prostrate Ray, then turned to one of the officers. "Get him into an ambulance and take him to emergency too. But keep an eye on him."   
  
****   
  
Egon was pacing back and forth when the door of the waiting room, an action he was definitely not accustomed to. "Ironic," he thought. "This is usually Peter's job in these kinds of situations. Now here I am doing it in his place." But for all his musing, Egon was worried. Raymond seemed for all intents and purposes to have gone completely over the edge, and for no good reason. Try as he might, Egon could not think of a single event or instance that may have led to such a situation. It was completely illogical. And although Raymond was given to more than occasional bouts of over-enthusiasm, he was by no means an illogical man. Yet, facts were facts. Peter had been shot by Ray in plain sight of at least twenty people, and may not survive the night. Suddenly, the door of waiting room burst open, jarring Egon from his thoughts.   
  
"Where is he? Where's my boy?" cried a familiar gravelly voice.   
  
Egon hurried over to the elder Venkman. "Peter in the operating room, Mr. Venkman. Please sit down."   
  
Charlie Venkman let Egon help him over to the plastic chairs. "How? Why?", he kept saying. "Peter is a good boy. Why would anyone shoot him? Why?"   
  
Egon found himself placing his arm around the distraught man. "I don't know why he did it."   
  
Charlie looked at Egon with hard green eyes. Even grief couldn't blunt the man's well-honed salesman's edge. "You know who shot my boy? Then you've got to tell me ! "   
  
"Ray," Egon replied in a small voice.   
  
"Ray? Peter's friend? Ray Stantz?" he asked, wanting to make sure he had heard Egon right. Egon nodded ruefully. Charlie stood up, his body shaking with rage. "I'm going to kill him if my boy dies. I mean it!"   
  
Egon stood up and walked over to the window. "You won' t have to. I'm going to make sure Ray is put away in a place where he can never harm anyone again."   
  
"Excuse me, Dr. Spengler?" Egon turned around to see a doctor standing in the doorway.   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"I'm Doctor Miller. I'm the surgeon working on your friend."   
  
Charlie hurried over to him. "Is my boy going to be all right?"   
  
Doctor Miller looked at him. "It was touch and go for a while there, but your son is a very strong and determined young man. He's not quite out of the woods yet, but we 're very hopeful."   
  
Venkman smiled . "That's my boy. He takes after his old man. May I see him?"   
  
"For a few minutes, yes, but don't disturb him. He 's needs his rest. I'll have Nurse Connor take you to him."   
  
Egon watched as Charlie and the nurse left. "Is Peter really going to recover?"   
  
"Yes but I'd say it was a miracle The bullet didn't hit any major organs."   
  
"That impossible."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Peter was shot at close range."   
  
"Then your friend was one lucky man. I have to make rounds now Dr. Spengler."   
  
Egon sat down, overwhelmed. Peter would survive. He pulled his glassed off his face, put his head in his hands and wept silent tears of relief.   
  
****  
  
Ray woke up on a gurney in the corridor of the hospital, with Frump standing over him.   
  
"Well, Stantz. You've had a busy day, haven't you? Arson, and now attempted murder. And the broken ribs were a nice touch, by the way. Thought you could throw me off the scent, huh?"   
  
Ray look up at him, his face stretched with pain. "Please. I've got to know about Peter." Frump look at him in disgust. "Why do you care?"   
  
"Peter's my friend."   
  
The detective let out a derisive snort. "If Venkman's your friend, I don't want to meet your enemies."   
  
"I didn't shoot Peter!"   
  
"Stantz, I think you'd better be quiet." Frump started to read Ray his rights again when he heard Egon's voice.   
  
"Hold it right there, Frump. Raymond is not going with you."   
  
Frump turned around and glare at Egon. "Don't try to stop me, Spengler. Stantz is going to jail."  
  
"No, he's not," replied Egon sternly.   
  
Hope began to glimmer inside Ray's mind as he lay on the gurney listening to the exchange. Maybe Egon was having second thoughts. Maybe he hadn't lost a friend after all. Frump started to say something when two orderlies in white with Belfe written on their jackets stepped up beside Egon. One of them was carrying heavy canvas straps. Egon pointed to the gurney. "That's him."   
  
The two man walk over to the cart. Ray tried to get up, but was pushed roughly back. The taller man grabbed him and held him down while together they strapped the unfortunate Ray to the gurney. Ray screamed in pain as the straps damaged his injuries even more. "Stop! My ribs are broken, you dipsticks! Egon, please, help me!"   
  
Egon stared sadly at Ray. "I'm helping you the only way I know how, Raymond."   
  
Ray tried to fight off his two guards. "Egon, what do you mean? Please, help me! They're hurting me!"   
  
"I signed the papers to have you committed. I just hope they can help you." Egon turned away. Ray felt like he had been punched in the stomach for the second time today. Then he stopped fighting. Alan had won. His best friend had been shot and his other two best friends had turned against him. The two orderlies wheeled the gurney out to a van waiting outside, and took him away.   
  
*******   
  
Alan laughed as he turned off the magic screen. "Oh I 'm loving this. But tell me, you old hag: why didn't Venkman die?"   
  
Flo said nothing. Alan laughed again. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. Everyone thinks Stantz has gone nuts. Ha! And now his best friend Spengler has had him put away! Oh man, this is so delicious!"   
  
*****   
  
Egon watched as Ray's gurney was being wheeled away. "Broken ribs?" He thought. "Hmmm..."   
  
  
  
Egon then turned and walk away but his mind was racing. This situation had seemed unbelievable at first, and now it was beginning to take a suspicious turn. He saw a doctor standing by the nurse's station and approached him. "Excuse me, are you the doctor that worked on the man who was just taken away?"  
  
The doctor finished signing some papers before he answered the question. "No. Dr. Fisher worked on him, and I'll tell you he wasn't too pleased to have his patient taken from him."  
  
Egon disregarded the barb in the doctor's last statement. "May I speak with Dr. Fisher?"  
  
"Sure. He's in the doctor's lounge. Just be careful. Ted's not in a good mood."  
  
Egon nodded and headed for the doctor's lounge. He met Winston in the hall; he had just come from seeing Peter. He was wearing a scowl on his face that Egon did not see often. Winston only looked like that when things were truly grim indeed. But Egon was beginning to suspect otherwise. "Winton, we've got to go talk to the doctor that treated Ray."  
  
"Why? Man, as far as I'm concerned, Ray can rot in jail."  
  
Egon fixed an intense stare on Winston. "I have reason to suspect that Ray is innocent. Something stinks here and I want find out what."  
  
"Innocent? But you checked him out and said he wasn't possessed. We all saw him fire point blank at Peter!"  
  
"I examined him for possession, but that's all I did. Any number of other factors could be at work, here, Winston, and I should have examined those possibilities as well. Just now, when Ray was being taken away, he mentioned his ribs being broken. Yet he stood straight when he fired at Peter. How could he have fired a gun with broken ribs?"  
  
Winston looked shocked. "Broken ribs?? Oh man. I punched Ray out of rage."  
  
"It's unlikely that your punch broke his ribs, Winston. But it's a possibility we need to discuss with the doctor who treated Ray."  
  
In the doctor's lounge, they saw only one doctor sitting on a sofa drinking coffee. Egon walked over to him. "Excuse me, are you Dr. Fisher?"  
  
"Yeah, and you must be Dr. Spengler, the ass who had my patient taken from me."  
  
Egon was taken back by Dr. Fisher sharp tone, but presented only a calm face to the irate doctor. "I did what I thought was best at the time. Now I'm not too sure. Doctor, I need to know how long his ribs had been broken."  
  
Dr. Fisher looked at the two men, his eyes narrow with suspicion and anger. "His ribs have been broken for at least a day or two and he'll be lucky if he gets the right care at Belfe. He had four broken ribs, two cracked ones and internal bleeding. I hope he gets the care he needs."  
  
Winston felt his stomach lurch. "Was the internal bleeding caused by the broken ribs?"  
  
Dr. Fisher stared at him. "No, I believe that was caused by something else. It could have been caused by the police manhandling him as they arrested him. But I understand someone punched him in the stomach at the scene. It was a wonder he wasn't dead by the time he got here."  
  
Winston went pale looked down at his hands. Egon placed a hand on his shoulder but said nothing to him.  
  
"Doctor, could he have held and fired a gun with broken ribs?"  
  
"I doubt it. He could hardly stand up, let alone fire a gun. Now gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, I have rounds to make."  
  
Egon and Winston watched him leave. Winston looked at Egon with a look of horror on his face. "Oh God, Egon. What did I do?"  
  
"Not just you, Winston, but me as well. I'm going to go see Ray."  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
"Listen to him and really listen."  
  
Winston nodded. "Egon, tell him I'm sorry."  
  
Egon returned the nod and headed for the door. He walked out into the parking lot and got into Ecto. After signing in at the Belfe Mental Institute for the Criminally Insane, he was shown down long, dark hallways to Ray's room. Occasionally, the slamming of steel gates or a scream from some tortured soul could be heard faintly from some other part of the building. The walls were a drab, institutional green, and little light filtered in through the small, dirty windows. The steel bars all the doors and windows added to the desperate gloom of the place. Somewhere at the back of his mind, Egon surmised that it wouldn't be long before they would be called to bust a spirit at such a place.  
  
Egon was led down a corridor to the hospital wing, where injured inmates were kept, and where Ray was currently being treated. Two orderlies were standing guard at either side of Ray's door. Egon showed them his pass and they allowed him to go in.  
  
As Egon entered the room, he noticed that Ray was still strapped to the bed and that he had a monitor and IV was hooked up to him. Ray was awake, and looking up at the ceiling.  
  
"Hello, Raymond."  
  
No answer. Egon sighed. This was not going to be easy. Ray could be far more stubborn than Peter, when he put his mind to it. "Ray, I know you're upset with me and I don't blame you. But I have come to hear your side of the story. No interruptions, no assumptions, no judgments."  
  
Ray's lip was drawn in a thin line, and his jaw was set. He remained silent, resolutely staring up at the ceiling. "Ray, please say something."  
  
Ray turned his head towards the wall. "Why should I?" he said, in a muffled voice that was hardly audible. "You wouldn't believe a word I'd say anyway."  
  
Egon felt bad. Ray's words had a ring of truth in them. "I know I haven't listened to you before, and for that I'm sorry. I'm ready to believe you now."  
  
The silence in the room was deafening. "Please, Ray."  
  
Still getting no answer, Egon rose and left. He headed back to the hospital. His mind was racing again. He had to find out what happened. He remembered Ray saying something about Alan but what did the brash shoe salesman from Morrisville have to do with all of this?  
  
When he got to the hospital Janine was waiting for him. "Egon, Peter's awake and he's asking for Ray."  
  
"Okay Janine. I'll go talk to him."  
  
As Egon entered Peter's room, Charlie Venkman was trying to hold his son down. In spite of his injures, Peter was trying to sit up. "Egon, where's Ray?" he demanded.  
  
"He's at Belfe."  
  
"Belfe?" exploded the elder Venkman. "After what he did to my boy? He should be rotting in jail!"  
  
"Dad?"  
  
"Yes Peter?"  
  
"Shut the hell up."  
  
Charlie Venkman was taken back by his son 's words. "Pete, I was ..."  
  
"Dad, I said shut up." Peter turned to Egon and Winston. "I don't know who shot me, but it wasn't Ray. It was somebody disguised to look like Ray. I saw his eyes. They weren't the eyes of our Ray."  
  
"I know, Peter." Egon replied. "Ray 's ribs were broken. There's no way he could have fired that gun."  
  
"Yeah, and I made it worse by punching him in the stomach." Winston's voice was despondent.  
  
Peter closed his eyes. "What have you done, guys? Spengs, you get him back here now!"  
  
"Peter, he's not talking to me."  
  
Peter tried again to get up, but this time Winston held him down. "Pete you're not in any shape to get up."  
  
Peter looked at Winston. "Then you'd better think of something. Because if Ray isn't here sharing a room with me when I get out of ICU, I'll never speak to any of you again."  
  
Egon came over to stand at the side of Peter's bed. "You don't mean that, Peter. You're just upset."  
  
"Why shouldn't I be? You just threw my best friend in the nuthouse. You'd better find out what really happened, Spengler, and get him out of that place. Now, get out, all of you. I need my rest."  
  
"Do you want me to stay, son?"  
  
"No, Dad, I want you to leave."  
  
As they walked out Winston look at Egon. "What are we going to do?"  
  
"I don't know, Ray won't talk to me."  
  
"Maybe he'll talk to me."  
  
Egon and Winston turned to find Ray's Aunt Lois standing in the hallway in a dressing gown. Egon went over to her. "Ray's Aunt Lois!" He said affectionately, using the in-joke that the men shared with Ray's closest relative. "Why are you up?"  
  
"I've been released, dear. Now, take me to my nephew."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Egon stood there for a moment, stunned by Aunt Lois' proposal. Had he not already been to see Ray, and had seen the hell-hole that purported to be a modern medical facility, he might have considered doing as the older woman asked. But with images of an insane asylum to rival Bedlam itself seared in his mind, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Aunt Lois. I can't take you there. I just can't risk it."   
  
Aunt Lois smiled quizzically at the considerably taller physicist. "Now, Egon, someone needs to talk to Ray. But he's not talking to you, is he?"   
  
Egon smiled at her. Now he could see where Ray got it from. "No, he isn't. All right, I'll take you, even if it is against my better judgement." he replied.   
  
"Thank you, dear." she smiled sweetly. "Now let's go." She turned to Winston. "Are you coming Winston, dear?"   
  
Winston looked grim as he shook his head. "No. I'm the last person Ray wants to see right now." Slowly he turned and walked away. Concerned, Aunt Lois exchanged glances with Egon. But the blond man offered no explanations, but offered instead his arm to the diminutive woman. In silence, they walked out to the parking lot.   
  
"Egon?" Aunt Lois was the first to break the silence, as Egon steered Ecto in the direction of Belfe.   
  
"Mm?"   
  
"What's wrong with Winston, besides what's going on with Ray?"   
  
"Nothing, really. He's just worried about Ray."   
  
"Now, Egon! I know you're not lying to me, but you're not telling me everything."   
  
"Did the doctor tell you about Ray's injuries?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Winston may have been the cause of his internal bleeding."   
  
Aunt Lois became quiet for a moment. Then she spoke in a quiet voice. "I'm sure Winston didn't mean to do it."  
  
Egon didn't answer her, but turned the corner through the stone and iron gate that marked the edges of the Belfe Institution.   
  
If Aunt Lois had any illusions as to the type of place which now had custody of her only nephew, they were dispelled now. They pulled up along a driveway to a grey, foreboding-looking institution. The overcast day cast a pallor about the place that even the well-kept grounds could not dispel. Four stories high and sprawling, the building had been built at the turn on the century and bore traces of what must have once been a well-appointed and beautiful institution. But the architectural details had long been stripped from the building's exterior, leaving it looking decrepit and bare. Egon knew that it was a mild preamble to what scenes waited inside.   
  
Egon escorted her up the steps, and took her to the main office, where they both signed in. After undergoing a security check, they were taken to Ray's room. As they walked down the halls, Aunt Lois clung to Egon's arm at the sounds of the screams echoing down the dismal hallways. Once they arrived at the room, Egon showed the orderlies their pass and they were allowed in. Ray was still strapped to his bed, and was still staring at the ceiling. His aunt let out an involuntary cry, which made Ray turn. His lips were drawn tightly thin as he looked from her to Egon.   
  
"Why did you bring her here, Spengler? You had no right!"   
  
Egon was once again momentarily speechless. Never before had the younger man called him only by his last name. It betrayed a disdain, a disgust usually reserved for their enemies, such as Walter Peck. Before Egon could collect his thoughts, Aunt Lois walked over to the bed and laid a hand on Ray's arm. "I asked Egon to bring me, dear. I was hoping you would talk to me."   
  
Ray closed his eyes. "I'm sorry about your home, Aunt Lois."   
  
His aunt smiled at him as she patted his hand. "I know that wasn't you, dear. You would never do such a thing to me."   
  
Ray looked at Egon. "At least she believes me, unlike some people I know."   
  
Egon involuntarily straightened, as if offended by Ray's words, but said nothing. He knew only too well the role he had played in Ray's captivity. Ray looked back at his aunt. "Aunt Lois, do you remember Alan Favish?"   
  
"That bully that was always picking on you in school? Before you came to live with me? Yes, I remember him. The little weasel. Does he have something to do with this?"   
  
Ray cast a furtive glance at Egon. Despite his pride being somewhat wounded by his earlier remark, the physicist was hanging on Ray's every word. Ray sighed and became quiet.   
  
"Ray, please go on, dear."   
  
Ray fixed Egon with a stare, then said, "Egon, I'm still mad at you, you know. But you need to hear this too. You can come closer."   
  
Egon pulled up a chair and waited for his friend to go on.   
  
"As I was saying,...Okay, let me think. Oh this isn't easy."   
  
"Take your time Ray." Egon returned his friend's stare, as if to offer him his own strength to continue.   
  
"When I was chosen Grand Marshall of the Puma parade in Morrisville, Alan was jealous. He tried to ruin me then, and he almost pulled it off. Elaine and I found a book of spells in his shoe store that he had been using to manipulate spirits in that old haunted house. We stopped him, but not before he raised the spirit of the Winged Puma."   
  
"Last week after a job, I was loading Ecto, when someone grabbed me. The next thing I knew I was on the ground in an alley, getting the, uh, hide beaten off me." He cast an uneasy glance at his aunt, more conscious of his language in front of his remaining close relative. "I passed out and when I woke up, I was in a room - a motel room I think, but I have no idea where - and a elderly woman was looking after me. Alan showed up as if by magic. I found out later that he had been taking on my appearance, posing as me, and doing awful things to make me look bad."   
  
"I knew it!" exclaimed Aunt Lois. "I knew there was something familiar about that...that man who attacked me and set my house on fire!" Vindicated, she shot a glance at Egon.   
  
"Ray, how did he become you?" asked Egon, ignoring her pointed gaze.   
  
"The old woman. She's a demon. Normally, she wouldn't hurt people, but if she's caught by someone bent on evil, she can be made to do their bidding. He had some kind of a collar around her neck that he used to control her."   
  
Egon took out his electronic hand-held Tobin Spirint guide and ran a search. Then he held it out at an entry showing a beautiful woman. "Ray, is this her?"   
  
Ray studied the picture, his eyes narrowing as he tried to mentally apply the aging process. "Yes, I think so, but the woman I saw was a lot older."   
  
"Since Favish had a collar on her, he could have demanded that she appear old to you, to throw you off the scent. He wouldn't be so careless in casting spells a second time, knowing your background in the occult."   
  
Aunt Lois stared at Ray. "Was he the one who broke your ribs?"   
  
Ray look at her. "I think he was. I don't really know."   
  
Aunt Lois's maternal instinct had long ago kicked in, as it often did when she was around her nephew, but she could hold it back no longer. She reached down and felt his forehead. "You're warm. Has a doctor been in to see you?"   
  
"No." Ray was too tired to engage in his usual charade of protestations of humiliation and embarrassment at his aunt's fussing. He close his eyes, then wearily opened them again to look at Egon. "Please believe me Egon. I didn't do any of those things."   
  
"I do believe you, Ray. I just wish I had believed you earlier. I promise, Winston and I will find Alan Favish. If he really is playing with spells again, he's as much a danger to himself as he is to others. We'll put a stop to it, and make sure he pays for what he did."   
  
"Egon, find Flo first. She's the demon. If she's Alan's slave, he could hurt her."   
  
The physicist nodded gravely. "I will. I promise."   
  
Ray's eyes were by now glassy and bloodshot, and his breathing was much more labored. When Aunt Lois moved to get up from the edge of the bed where she had been sitting, Ray sucked in his breath through his teeth.   
  
"Ray are you okay?"   
  
"No," grunted the injured man. "Oh God, Egon! The painkillers are wearing off, I hurt so bad!"   
  
"Didn't they give you anything?"   
  
"Not since I came here, and what the hospital gave me is wearing off."   
  
Egon spun on his heels, marched out into the hallway and grabbed one of the orderlies by his collar. "You have a man in pain in here. Now if I don't see a nurse here in five minutes I will inflict pain on you such as you cannot conceive."   
  
The two orderlies looked at Egon, the physicist's use of large words and complicated sentence structure being too much for men employed primarily as thugs. And normally, they would think nothing of pounding a man such as this into submission. But something in Egon's eyes made them think the better of their instincts. The one he held nodded. "I'll go."   
  
Soon, the orderly returned with a nurse. But she took one look at the unfortunate man in the room and said, "I 'm sorry, I can't give him anything until a doctor has had a look at him."   
  
"Then you'd had better get a doctor here right now!"  
  
Unused to being commanded by visitors this way, the woman's jaw set in a hard line. "We're busy right now."   
  
But Egon was an old hand at dealing with unwilling doctors and nurses, since enough of their busts ended up with one or more of his teammates in the hospital. At length, Egon proved more obstinate than the nurse, and Ray's doctor was summoned.   
  
"What is going on here?" demanded the doctor impatiently, upon learning of the quarrel.   
  
"Oh Dr. Marks, I was telling Dr. Spengler here, I can't give anything to patient 3010 till you look at him."   
  
"His name is Raymond, and if you are his doctor then you should know that my colleague is suffering from several broken or bruised ribs, and from internal bleeding as well. He needs to be given something for the pain."   
  
"I have already examined 3010, and he doesn't need anything."   
  
Egon's temper finally gave way. As he had done outside the partly demolished firehouse when Peck had accused the Ghostbusters of deliberately shutting down the power grid to the containment unit, he now lunged at the doctor, pinning him against the wall of Ray's room before the orderlies had a chance to react.   
  
"Look again, doctor," he snarled.   
  
Dr Marks looked in shock at Ray, who was now trying hard not to cry, and biting his lip hard. He turned back to the nurse. "Give him 40 CCs of morphine."   
  
"40 CCs! That will knock him out!"   
  
But by now, the doctor had regained his composure, and presented an air of disdainful authority to the frustrated ghostbuster.   
  
"Dr Spengler, he's my patient not yours. Now, stay out of my way."   
  
The nurse gave Egon an I-told-you-so look and filled a hypodermic needle with the drug. Then she roughly grabbed one of Ray's arms and plunged the needle into it. Ray let out a yelp, but his eyes quickly became glossy as the morphine started to take effect. The injured man slipped quietly into unconsciousness. Horrified by the violence of the nurse, Aunt Lois reached out and touched him. "Ray ?"   
  
Egon put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. "What did she give him?"   
  
"Enough morphine to knock him out for hours."   
  
"How long?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I think about nine or ten."   
  
"Egon, please, get him out of here." She was now crying and Egon found himself holding her, albeit somewhat stiffly. He was still uncomfortable at the notion of embracing anyone, much less his colleague's elderly aunt.   
  
"I will. I promise."   
  
Egon took her to Ecto. As she settled into the passenger's seat, he said, "I'll be right back," and he walked back into the building, to the office. "I would like to see Dr. Beaker."   
  
He was shown to a nicely-furnished waiting room, it's well-appointed decor sitting in stark contrast to the decrepit state of the rest of the hospital. Beaker came out of his office, an older man with hard features. "What can I do for you?"   
  
"I was the one who signed the papers for Ray Stantz to be committed to this institution. But I have reason to believe that I made an error of judgement, and I would like to rescind my application."   
  
"I'm sorry, Dr. Spengler, but you were made aware of the rules when you signed the papers. Neither you nor anyone else can stop the process once started. Raymond Stantz cannot be released until after his evaluation. And if we feel he is of sound mind, we will release him to the authorities. This is no longer your concern. Good day sir."   
  
And with that, he went back in his office.   
  
As the disappointed ghostbuster left, a pair of eyes glittered in the shadows. "So, now Ray 's got someone on his side. Doesn't matter, you'll never prove he's innocent without that demon, and I took care of her."   
  
TBC 


	4. Frame Up

Part 4   
  
Egon hurried back to Ecto and got in. Aunt Lois was quiet as he drove back to the hospital to see Peter. Normally, Egon was comfortable with quiet. He and Ray had spent countless hours in amiable silence, working on a piece of machinery or conducting laboratory tests. But as pleasant as Ray's aunt was, the situation made the silence unbearable. Finally, without taking his eyes off the road, Egon asked, "have you made any plans where you will be staying?"   
  
"Yes. I'm staying with a friend." Lois fixed her eyes on the road ahead as well, still in shock after her visit to Belfe.   
  
"Will you be safe there?"   
  
"Yes Egon. When is Ray's hearing?"   
  
"It's not really a hearing, it's an evaluation. I think it's Thursday, which gives us two days to find Favish."   
  
"How are you going to find him?"   
  
Egon's hands tightened on the steering wheel, and his eyes darkened. "We'll find him if we have to tear this city apart."   
  
"What will you do when you find him? I believe Ray, but Favish looks nothing like him. How are we going to prove that it was Alan that did all those terrible things, and not my Ray?"   
  
Egon thought for a moment. "We have to find that demon. I think Slimer can help there."   
  
"I hope so. Do you think he would?"   
  
Egon couldn't help himself, his mouth twitched into a wry smile. "Slimer would do anything for Ray. We're his family."   
  
Egon pulled Ecto back into the parking lot of the hospital, and put the vehicle in park. "Well we're here. I'm not sure I want to face Peter right now."   
  
As they got out a man and woman approached them. They were about the same age as Lois, and the woman was clearly distraught, wringing a rumpled and worn looking kleenex in her hands. "Lois!" She exclaimed, running up to them. "I was so worried about you."  
  
"Oh hello, Helen. You know Egon, don't you?"   
  
Helen turned her attention to the physicist, who fairly towered over the two women, and sized him up. Egon offered only a nod as acknowledgment. "Only by the news. We've got your stuff in the car. We have to get home."   
  
"All right, Helen. Egon, I'll be at the hearing Thursday. Please find the you-know-what."   
  
Helen looked shocked. "Lois! You're going to your nephew's hearing? After what he did?"   
  
"Helen, Ray didn't do it."   
  
"All right, dear, he didn't do it." Lois' friend adopted the tone of voice usually reserved for children or the senile. Lois just rolled her eyes.   
  
"See you Thursday, Egon."   
  
Egon nodded. After they left, he walked into the hospital and found Peter's room. Peter was sitting up and reading when Egon came in. Egon was mildly surprised to find the room empty of visitors, as Venkman loved to play the invalid for the attention.   
  
"Where is everyone?"   
  
"I sent them home. My Dad was driving me crazy, and if I had to hear Winston moaning about his guilty conscience much longer, I'd have hit him. So when does Ray get out?"   
  
"Peter, it's not going to be that easy. There's going to be an evaluation on Thursday. The doctors will examine him, test him, and if he passes he'll be turned over to the police. If he's found insane they'll lock him up in that place for the rest of his life. Which will probably be less than a year."   
  
Peter fixed Egon with a stare. Venkman was not used to hearing defeatist rhetoric from his longtime friend, who prided himself on his strict adherence to facts and to logic. "What do you mean by 'less than a year?'"   
  
Egon found he couldn't return Peter's gaze, and so he looked out the window instead. "Peter, that place looks like a holdover from the sanitoriums of a hundred years ago. It's bad enough to rival Bedlam itself. Ray's ribs are broken, and when we found him, he was in severe pain. Only after I practically threatened the doctor with a malpractice suit, did they agree to treat him, and their treatment consisted of 40ccs of morphine. He's strapped to his bed, Peter."   
  
Venkman's first instinct was to allow his rage to boil over, and lunge for his friend's throat. But something held him back. Mentally tossing aside much of Egon's story, Peter's mind focused in on the one point that didn't fit.  
  
"Wait a minute. Lemme get this straight. You said Ray's ribs were broken. You told me he couldn't fire that gun, right? So it's case closed! No way Ray tried to kill me. And if he didn't try to kill me, that throws the rest of the suspicions on him in doubt, right?"   
  
For once, Egon welcomed Peter's normally irritating habit of using logic to meet his own needs. "I wish it were that easy, Peter. Once a person is committed, there is a 72-hour process that must be followed. The psychiatrists will examine Ray on Thursday, and present their findings at a legal hearing. If Ray is found to be sane, he'll be turned over to the police. But if he's found to be insane..."   
  
"But he won't be, right, Egon? I mean, okay, this is Ray we're talking about, here, but no way is he insane."   
  
"The doctors might not share your view, Peter, if he tells them what he told me and his aunt."   
  
And Egon proceeded to relate Ray's story, of being kidnapped, of being held in a motel room and fed chicken soup, and of Favish posing as him using the help of a demon disguised as a sixty-year-old woman.   
  
By the time Egon had finished, Peter had adopted a stunned look. "Egon, they'll lock him up and throw away the key unless we find that demon."   
  
Peter swung his feet around and got up. Egon grab him. "What are you doing?"   
  
"I'm getting out of here. There is no way I'm staying here when Ray needs my help."   
  
Egon placed his hand on Peter's shoulder and sat him back down on the bed. "Winston and I will help Ray. We'll look for Favish, and I'll ask Slimer to look for that demon."   
  
******   
  
When Ray woke up, his room was dark. His head felt like it would burst open, and he was shivering.   
  
"You know, morphine can be addictive. Did anyone ever tell you that?"   
  
Ray eyes had not focus yet but he knew the voice. "How did you get in here?" he rasped.   
  
Alan gloated. "They've got so many orderlies here. It's easy to blend in. I just came by to tell you, I'm leaving the city after I take care of one detail."   
  
Alan leaned over Ray, and propped his elbow on the bed. "Y'see, Stantz, Venkman was supposed to die. And since Flo stopped me from doing that, I'm going make sure to finish the job properly. This time, you're going to do it."  
  
"You're out of your mind. You can't be me any more. I'm in here."   
  
"I'm not going to become you. You're going to kill him yourself. QuarterMuxch! "   
  
Suddenly, Ray could no longer feel his limbs. The cold that had made him shiver seemed to have penetrated to his very core. And to his terror, he realized that he was no longer in control of his body. Alan waved his hands in front of Ray's face, but Ray was immobile. "Ray, you're going to the hospital so you can kill Venkman. Do you understand?"   
  
Ray's head nodded, while internally his mind was screaming.   
  
"Good then let's go." Alan took out a small vial in which he had imprisoned the demon. "Okay you hag send us to Venkman."   
  
  
  
The demon nodded her head sadly as she wave her hands. Blue smoke appeared all around .When it cleared, Alan saw that they were still in the ward. Enraged, he shook the vial violently. "I said sent us to Venkman!" he snarled.   
  
"I'm trying."   
  
"What's wrong?"   
  
She looked at Ray. "He's stopping me."   
  
"How?? He's supposed to be under my control!"   
  
"I can't take away his free will. He's fighting me."   
  
"Damn! Can you take us somewhere else?"   
  
"Yes, just not to Venkman."   
  
"Good. Take us ..... "   
  
Suddenly, they could hear voices approaching in the hall outside. "I don't understand, Doctor Spengler, you were just here."   
  
Alan looked at the closed door with a horrified look on his face. "Flo, get me out of here now." The demon waved her hand and she and Alan were gone, leaving Ray behind. When Egon and the orderly walked in, they found Ray free of his bonds, standing still in the middle of the room, his eyes wide open and unfocussed.   
  
Egon hurried over to his friend. "Ray?"   
  
Ray didn't blink. The orderly looked from Egon to the immobile Ray. "Man I see people freak out on that stuff, but he really gone."   
  
Egon paid no attention to him; he was shaking Ray. "Come on, Raymond, snap out of it."   
  
Ray slowly blinked his eyes and stared at Egon until his eyes came into focus. "Egon?"   
  
"It's me Ray. Are you sure you're all right?"   
  
Ray grabbed Egon's arm. "Egon, stop Alan. He's going to kill Peter."   
  
Egon fixed Ray in an intense stare. "Ray, listen to me: Peter is safe, there's no way Alan can get to him."   
  
Ray shook his head. "No, he was just here."   
  
"Impossible. You are too heavily guarded. There's no way Alan could have gone undetected by the orderlies."   
  
"I'm telling you, he was here, and he's going after Peter."   
  
Egon nodded grimly. He wasn't going to take any chances. "Very well, Ray, calm down. I'll call Winston."   
  
Ray nodded and sat down on the bed as Egon pulled out his cell phone and dialed the hospital. "Winston, this is Egon. I'm here with Ray. He told me that Alan Favish is after Peter."   
  
"Okay Egon. Thanks for telling me." Winston hung up and turned to a nurse. "Can Peter be moved?"   
  
"I'll have to check with the doctor."   
  
"Then please do. His life is in danger."   
  
It took some fast talking on Winston part to get the doctor to agree to move Peter. It took some even faster talking to convince Peter that moving him was a good idea. Venkman didn't want to be moved, but finally agreed when Winston pointed out to him he was too weak to fight Favish, and if something happened to him Ray, Egon and Winston would never forgive him, let alone themselves.   
  
Meanwhile, Alan had appeared in the hospital with the forced help of the demon, had procured for himself a doctor's lab coat, and arrived at Peter 's old room. "Okay, we're here. Make sure no one can get here just in case Venkman tries anything."   
  
The demon sadly nodded her head and place a wall blocking off the corridor. Alan walked in and saw Peter asleep under the covers. He looked around, and spotted an extra pillow on a chair. A malicious smile spread over his face.   
  
"How convenient. Just what the doctor ordered." Alan snickered as he picked up the pillow and strolled over to Peter's bed. "With Venkman dead, Stantz will fall apart. So say good night."   
  
"You say good night, chump." The covers were thrown back, to reveal Winston in full gear, armed with a proton pack. Alan fell back in shock.   
  
Slimer swooped down from the ceiling, and snatched the vial from Alan's hand. "I take that, Bozo." he burbled triumphantly.  
  
Alan quickly recovered his malicious grin. "So you caught me. So what? You got no proof I did anything."   
  
"You just tried to kill Peter."   
  
"I did? I don't see Venkman here, only you."   
  
"Then you tried to kill me."   
  
"Yeah? Prove it."   
  
"I saw you too." Slimer growled.   
  
"Oh yeah, that's gonna hold up in court. A ghost saw me 'try to kill' his friend."   
  
"Why you..."   
  
"Easy, Spud."   
  
Alan turned to the sound of the voice. "Aww, Peter decided to join us. How nice."   
  
"Favish, I'm going to kick your ass all the way to prison for what you did to Ray."   
  
In his weak condition Peter was no match for Alan, and Alan knew it. The bigger man charged Peter. "Peter, no!" Winston cried out. But Peter wasn't listening. Years of playing football in college had stood him in good stead, and he took the tackle. Both men went down, and rolled on the ground, struggling. Alan barked out an order. "You hag, give me a weapon!" A knife suddenly appeared in Alan 's hand. He smiled at Peter coldly. "Now you die, Venkman."   
  
"No! Not this time! No more!"   
  
There was a sudden flash of white light, and Alan was suddenly in the fetal position on the ground, screaming and holding his hands. The vial in Slimer's hands was now glowing brightly. It was obviously hot too, as the little ghost dropped it like a hot potato. The vial smashed on the floor, and the demon emerged.   
  
"I will not let you make me hurt any more humans."   
  
"Stop, oh please, stop ! My hands!"   
  
  
  
Peter looked at her. "Please stop. What you're doing to him isn't right."   
  
"And what he did to your friend and tried to do to you was right? No, he deserves to be punished."   
  
With some difficulty, Peter slowly stood up. "Yes, he deserves to be punished, but not by you."   
  
"He 's turned me into a monster. He must pay!"   
  
"And he will be punished, I promise."   
  
Alan nodded from the floor. His hands the were covered in blisters. "Please! Help me!"   
  
The demon place her hand on the collar around her neck. "Remove this from me so I can use my full strength, and I will make it stop."   
  
Tears of pain were now running down Alan 's face. "The k-k-k-key is in my pants pocket ."   
  
Winston took the key and walk over and release the demon. Suddenly the old woman became a beautiful demon. She walk over to Alan, and held her hand over him. "Vegata!" she commanded.   
  
Alan abruptly sat up, and looked down at his hands. They were no longer blistered. He just sat there staring at them. Winston shook his head. "Now what?"   
  
"We turn Alan over to the police and we go find Ray."   
  
Peter turned to the demon. "We need your help. Because if I know Ray - and I do - he will tell that board the truth, and without proof, he doesn't stand a chance. Can you take us to Ray's hearing?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The demon nodded her head. "Now hold on a minute, Pete. You're in no condition to go anywhere." said Winston.   
  
"I'm going to go help Ray, and I'm not going to let anything stop me - not even you, Zed."   
  
Winston shook his head."At least let's ask your doctor."   
  
Peter looked towards Favish. "What about him?"   
  
"I know what to do with him." replied the demon, regarding the cowering shoe salesman with a vengeful smile. In a twinkling, the shattered vial was restored, and a swirling mist surrounded Favish. Then, the mist was sucked rapidly into the vial, as though a sudden draft had picked up. The demon replaced the stopper on the vial, and gave it to Winston. "Do what you wish with him. Now, are you ready ?"   
  
"Yes," replied Peter, before Winston could object.   
  
The demon nodded and they were gone .   
  
******   
  
Propped up in a wheelchair, with a heavily bandaged torso underneath his straight-jacket, Ray was wheeled down a corridor to the room where his evaluation was to take place. He wasn't looking forward to this. He knew in his own mind and heart that what had happened to him was very real, just as all of the adventures that he had experienced with his colleagues were real. But this was not the first time a psychiatrist had listened with biased judgement as he told his story. He knew with frightening certainty that, no matter how mentally alert and capable he might prove himself to be, that his story was so outlandish, and the results of "his" actions so dire, that the authorities would find it impossible to believe him. Resigning himself to the inevitable, he wondered whether languishing in a mental institution would be any worse than languishing in a maximum security prison.   
  
And he was still worried about Peter. Spengs had not given him an update on Peter's condition, mostly because he had been busy fighting with the quack at the institution that claimed to be Ray's doctor. He made a mental note to concoct some imaginative prank to play on the good doctor, if he ended up back at Belfe. He'd make sure that doctor would be hearing the hippocratic oath in his sleep. But his mind returned to Peter, who had been bloody and strapped to a gurney the last time Ray had seen him. What had happened to him?   
  
When he was wheeled into the evaluation room, he sized it up. It looked too much like a courtroom for his comfort. There was a long table on one end of the room, with several chairs behind it, a microphone at each chair. Ray was placed in the middle of the room, at a smaller table, which faced the larger one and also equipped with a solitary microphone. He realized with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that this would be just like a trial, but that he did not have the right to a lawyer. Egon and Aunt Lois were seated in chairs to one side of the room. A few chairs down sat a bored and grumpy-looking Frump. He looked with growing panic at them. His friends just returned his gaze miserably.   
  
The doors opened again, and jury of doctors entered the room, and sat down somberly. The lead doctor took the center seat, directly facing Ray. As he made his opening remarks, he looked straight at the unfortunate Ghostbuster. "We are here to see if Doctor Stantz should be held responsible for his actions. We are *not* here to determine whether or not the paranormal exists, or whether it was in some way directly or indirectly the cause of Dr. Stantz's actions. Let the record show that this jury does in no way believe in the existence of spirits or the supernatural, and will regard excuses to the effect that supernatural elements were responsible in this case with extreme suspicion."   
  
Ray's heart sunk into the pit of his stomach. His goose was cooked for sure, and he wouldn't even get some of Aunt Lois' famous dressing to go with it.   
  
The doctor began again. "Now then, Dr. Stantz. We have read the statement you gave to the police...". Suddenly there was a loud "crack!" and smoke filled the room. When it cleared, there were three more people in the room, standing just off to Ray's right side. Winston was propping up Peter, who was dressed in doctor's hospital scrubs. With them was a beautiful but decidedly *not* human looking woman, who Ray recognized as the demon in the picture Egon had showed him. The head doctor stood up and slammed his hands down on the table. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded hotly.   
  
Peter may have been weak from his recent run-in with Alan, but he was still in the mood for a good scrap. "We're here to clear Dr. Stantz's good name and prove beyond a shadow of doubt that not only is he in his right mind, he's innocent."   
  
Despite the fact that he was strapped down to the wheelchair, with handcuffs around his ankles and a straightjacket confining his arms, and several bruised and broken ribs impeding his movement, Ray nearly turned his wheelchair over in his surprise and relief. An orderly had to grab the wheelchair to prevent him from falling over altogether. "Peter! You're okay! "   
  
Peter turned to his friend and offered him a smile. "It just a scratch, Tex."   
  
The smile that Ray smiled in return could have lit up Long Island. The doctor stared at Peter. "Dr. Venkman, I presume? Aren't you supposed to be seriously injured and in hospital?"   
  
"It's nothing. Look, we have proof of Ray's innocence." He gestured towards the demon. "She can tell you everything."   
  
The doctor scowled. "Before I hear anything I want you all to sit down."   
  
Winston and the demon took their seats at the side of the room, the demon sitting next to Frump. Frump began sizing her up, but quickly thought better of the exercise when she turned to look him in the eye. Never get involved with she-demons, that was the cardinal rule of ghostbusting, and one that Peter never seemed to be able to learn.   
  
Peter, on the other hand, grabbed a chair from the side of the room, and plunked it down facing backward right beside Ray. He then parked himself, leaning on the back of the chair for support. "Hey, Tex."   
  
Ray smiled. "Peter, what are you doing here?"   
  
"Ray, when this is over you and I will both go back to the hospital and share a room. Then the others can pay us back by waiting on us hand and foot."   
  
The doctor addressed the demon. "Young lady. You have something to say?"   
  
"Yes. You must know first of all that I'm a demon. I was caught by a foe of Raymond, and was made to do evil against him." She paused and turned to Winston. "Please bring up the vial."   
  
Winston came up and gave her the vial. "In this vial is the one who responsible for all the trouble: the attack at the restaurant, the fire, and the attempted murder of that man." She pointed to Peter.   
  
Surreptitiously, Peter leaned over to Ray and whispered, "she wants me, I can tell."   
  
The demon threw the vial down on the floor, smashing it and releasing a cloud of smoke. After the smoke cleared Alan Favish was standing there, shaking. When he realized he was in what looked like a courtroom, he panicked. He made a mad dash for the door, but was stopped by the two orderlies who guarded it. The doctor look surprised, but his _expression very quickly turned skeptical. "Young lady. That man looks nothing like Doctor Stantz."   
  
"Watch." She said a magic word and right before everyone Alan became Ray.   
  
The doctor stared at Alan. "How is this possible?"   
  
"Because I'm a demon."   
  
"This is preposterous!" The doctor spluttered. "I don't believe in demons! The stuff of superstition and fairy tales! We are scientists, we believe in empirical knowledge!"   
  
If Flo was annoyed by the doctor's remark, she didn't show it. But calmly, she pointed to the doctor, and shot a few bolts of spectral energy at his feet. And the good doctor, who believed only in empirical knowledge, did a lovely little dance.   
  
Frump had seen enough. He heaved his large frame out of his chair and approached Alan. "Then you're the one who did all of the things Stantz was accused of."   
  
Alan snarled at him." I don't have to talk to you without my lawyer. I know my rights." Then he turned to the demon. "Turn me back!"   
  
She met his gaze, and this time, it was Alan that backed down. "P..please?" He offered weakly.   
  
She waved her hand, and he returned to his original form. Frump took his arms, bent them behind his back and began to read him his rights while he pushed the hapless Favish towards the door. As he left he looked over at Peter and Ray. "Sorry, but I was only doing my duty."   
  
Peter started to say something but Ray stopped him by interrupting. "Let it go, Peter. Besides, just hearing Frump say he was sorry was surprising."   
  
The shaken doctor returned to his seat and cleared his throat. Beneath the table, his feet were still jitterbugging. "Dr Stantz, in light of this new development, the jury finds that you are not in need of testing. The jury finds that you are of sound mind. I'm having you and Dr. Venkman return to the hospital."   
  
Ray sighed as the orderlies began the process of untying him. "All I want to do is just forget this ever happened." Ray turned to the demon. "Can you make it so none of this happened?"   
  
"No."   
  
"Why not? You're a demon," Ray asked.   
  
"For the same reason Alan couldn't get you to kill your friend, free will. Alan also has free will and even if I could do it he would still trap me and it would all still happen. I'm sorry." And with that, she vanished in a cloud of smoke.   
  
*****   
  
It had been over two weeks since the incident. Both Ray and Peter were home from the hospital and recovering well. Ray could tell, because Peter's whining got worse and more strident by the day. But they were all taking time getting over what had happened to them emotionally, and some were taking longer than others. Ray was sitting at the table eating when Winston walked in.   
  
"Hey, Winston."   
  
"Ray, how can you even talk to me after what I did?"   
  
"Well I opened my mouth, and 'hey Winston' just came out. Winston, It's okay ."   
  
"No it's not okay. We're supposed to be friends."   
  
Ray stood up. "Winston, you thought I shot Peter. If I had been in your place, I would have done the same thing."   
  
"Raymond, none of this would have happened at all if we had trusted you." Egon replied as he walk into the room followed by Peter.   
  
"I was upset about it at first Egon, but it was something that just happened. Alan is going away for a long time and I want things to be back the way they were."   
  
Peter place his arm around Ray. "They maybe someday kid ."   
  
Suddenly the alarm went off. "Oh boy! We got a call! Let's go, guys!" Ray dashed away from Peter, leaving Peter with his arm in the air. Egon was about to follow Ray down the firepole when Winston grabbed him. "Egon, do you think it will be okay?"   
  
Egon nodded. "If Ray thinks it will be, Winston, then so do I."   
  
The End 


End file.
